Pilot Little Maestro Value? - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

Radio Scotland · 27th Oct 2021, 5:11 pm

Spotted in a local antiques shop for £31, Great condition externally, Electrical condition unknown, I'd say its worth the money, What are your thoughts ?

Cheers
Jay

paulsherwin · 27th Oct 2021, 5:47 pm

Sounds about right if in decent cosmetic condition. They are quite popular sets, though it does depend on the model. The late 30s and 40s ones are much more desirable than the 50s ones.

Radio Scotland · 27th Oct 2021, 6:11 pm

Its this one here paul. Condition is about the same as the one pictured in the link below.

https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/pilot_...maestro_1.html

Sideband · 27th Oct 2021, 6:17 pm

I'd say go for it! Have a look at it beforehand though. I know someone who thought he'd bought a near-mint Ever Ready set only to find when he got home that the radio had been stripped out and a transistor PCB had been fitted in it's place. You wouldn't have known looking at the front.

Hopefully yours will be complete but check anyway. Good price if it really is in that condition.

I've got a Model 10 from 1953, the very first radio I restored when I was 14. They are generally quite easy to work on. Fairly basic but work quite well.

agardiner · 27th Oct 2021, 6:32 pm

I bought one of these. Lovely little sets.

Only 1 point to be mindful of, (apart from a stripped out chassis) is that they originally had a resistive mains cord. It had been replaced on mine with a regular one and clearly plugged in. 2 valves with open heaters!

Radio Scotland · 27th Oct 2021, 6:32 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sideband

I'd say go for it! Have a look at it beforehand though. I know someone who thought he'd bought a near-mint Ever Ready set only to find when he got home that the radio had been stripped out and a transistor PCB had been fitted in it's place. You wouldn't have known looking at the front.

Hopefully yours will be complete but check anyway. Good price if it really is in that condition.

I've got a Model 10 from 1953, the very first radio I restored when I was 14. They are generally quite easy to work on. Fairly basic but work quite well.

Cheers for the advice, I Had a look through the air vents in the back and it looks all original. The mains cable has rotted away by the looks of it, So chances are its never been got at.

Radio Scotland · 27th Oct 2021, 6:38 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by agardiner

I bought one of these. Lovely little sets.

Only 1 point to be mindful of, (apart from a stripped out chassis) is that they originally had a resistive mains cord. It had been replaced on mine with a regular one and clearly plugged in. 2 valves with open heaters!

Thats good to know if i decide to buy it, Seen a shango066 video where he was working on a radio with a resistive mains cord, He'd never came across one before, Solution was a dropper resistor of the appropriate value.

agardiner · 27th Oct 2021, 7:06 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Radio Scotland

Thats good to know if i decide to buy it, Seen a shango066 video where he was working on a radio with a resistive mains cord, He'd never came across one before, Solution was a dropper resistor of the appropriate value.

I have repaired a couple of these for customers. There is very little room inside for modifications, so I tend to opt for a capacitor dropper in these in order to keep the heat down.

Sideband · 27th Oct 2021, 7:07 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Radio Scotland

Solution was a dropper resistor of the appropriate value.

A better solution would be a capacitive dropper for the heaters. No heat dissipation. Just a small fairly low wattage resistor in series with the rectifier instead.

Using a dropper resistor will create a lot of heat.

My own Little Maestro has been running with a capacitive dropper for the last 10 years.

Radio Scotland · 27th Oct 2021, 7:18 pm

Capacitive dropper is a good idea, In the shango video he started off by using a single cement resistor but it was creating a ton of heat, So he put two in series to spread the heat out, He obviously never thought of using a dropper cap.

paulsherwin · 27th Oct 2021, 7:24 pm

I agree with the others, £31 for one of those is a good buy if in reasonable condition and complete.

Radios with those valves in a heater chain do dump a lot of heat from the dropper. A capacitive or diode dropper is the way to go unless you're a stickler for originality. There's lots of info on the forum if you search, including Paul Stenning's spreadsheet calculator which does all the hard sums for you.

Cobaltblue · 27th Oct 2021, 7:26 pm

Shango is dealing with 110V mains the resistor only has to drop about 40 volts in the UK its about 150V so there will be almost 4 times as much heat.

Cheers

Mike T

Radio Scotland · 27th Oct 2021, 7:30 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cobaltblue

Shango is dealing with 110V mains the resistor only has to drop about 40 volts in the UK its about 150V so there will be almost 4 times as much heat.

Cheers

Mike T

Good point, Forgot they use 110v.

Radio Scotland · 27th Oct 2021, 7:36 pm

Thanks for all the replies/info. Heres hoping its still for sale when i go back to the shop. Never worked on a valve set but have most of the gear to do so, And i ''think'' enough knowledge,

Be more to follow if i manage to get my hands on it.

Cheers

Radio Scotland · 27th Oct 2021, 9:12 pm

One last question, How rare is this model ?

Cobaltblue · 27th Oct 2021, 9:17 pm

There are several versions of this set all looking pretty similar.

They sold in good numbers and turn up fairly often.

At one point I had 8 or 9 of them.

I would say desirable not as common as DAC90A's but not really rare either.

They seem to be more desirable when in the Bakelite case.

Cheers

Mike T

paulsherwin · 28th Oct 2021, 10:13 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Radio Scotland

Thanks for all the replies/info. Heres hoping its still for sale when i go back to the shop. Never worked on a valve set but have most of the gear to do so, And i ''think'' enough knowledge

Just a reminder that this is a live chassis set, so you need to be especially careful about safety. There's plenty of info on the forum if you search.

Radio Scotland · 28th Oct 2021, 2:58 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by paulsherwin

Quote:

Originally Posted by Radio Scotland

Thanks for all the replies/info. Heres hoping its still for sale when i go back to the shop. Never worked on a valve set but have most of the gear to do so, And i ''think'' enough knowledge

Just a reminder that this is a live chassis set, so you need to be especially careful about safety. There's plenty of info on the forum if you search.

Cheers paul. I take it the valves in this radio are pretty standard and are still obtainable ?

agardiner · 28th Oct 2021, 3:03 pm

Not as standard as many, but I have always been able to track down any I have needed.

Radio Scotland · 28th Oct 2021, 3:11 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by agardiner

Not as standard as many, but I have always been able to track down any I have needed.

Cheers, Had a quick look online and all five are available.

27th Oct 2021, 5:11 pm	#1
Radio Scotland Heptode Join Date: Jul 2020 Location: Larkhall, South Lanarkshire, Scotland. Posts: 671	Pilot Little Maestro Value? Spotted in a local antiques shop for £31, Great condition externally, Electrical condition unknown, I'd say its worth the money, What are your thoughts ? Cheers Jay __________________ Help!! I've been electrocuted by a glass thing that glows

27th Oct 2021, 5:47 pm	#2
paulsherwin Moderator Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Oxford, UK Posts: 27,943	Re: pilot little maestro value ? Sounds about right if in decent cosmetic condition. They are quite popular sets, though it does depend on the model. The late 30s and 40s ones are much more desirable than the 50s ones.

27th Oct 2021, 6:11 pm	#3
Radio Scotland Heptode Join Date: Jul 2020 Location: Larkhall, South Lanarkshire, Scotland. Posts: 671	Re: pilot little maestro value ? Its this one here paul. Condition is about the same as the one pictured in the link below. https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/pilot_...maestro_1.html __________________ Help!! I've been electrocuted by a glass thing that glows

27th Oct 2021, 6:17 pm	#4
Sideband Dekatron Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Croydon, Surrey, UK. Posts: 7,571	Re: pilot little maestro value ? I'd say go for it! Have a look at it beforehand though. I know someone who thought he'd bought a near-mint Ever Ready set only to find when he got home that the radio had been stripped out and a transistor PCB had been fitted in it's place. You wouldn't have known looking at the front. Hopefully yours will be complete but check anyway. Good price if it really is in that condition. I've got a Model 10 from 1953, the very first radio I restored when I was 14. They are generally quite easy to work on. Fairly basic but work quite well. __________________ There are lots of brilliant keyboard players and then there is Rick Wakeman.....

27th Oct 2021, 6:32 pm	#5
agardiner Octode Join Date: Sep 2020 Location: Thetford, Norfolk, UK. Posts: 1,741	Re: pilot little maestro value ? I bought one of these. Lovely little sets. Only 1 point to be mindful of, (apart from a stripped out chassis) is that they originally had a resistive mains cord. It had been replaced on mine with a regular one and clearly plugged in. 2 valves with open heaters!

27th Oct 2021, 7:18 pm	#10
Radio Scotland Heptode Join Date: Jul 2020 Location: Larkhall, South Lanarkshire, Scotland. Posts: 671	Re: Pilot Little Maestro Value? Capacitive dropper is a good idea, In the shango video he started off by using a single cement resistor but it was creating a ton of heat, So he put two in series to spread the heat out, He obviously never thought of using a dropper cap. __________________ Help!! I've been electrocuted by a glass thing that glows

27th Oct 2021, 7:24 pm	#11
paulsherwin Moderator Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Oxford, UK Posts: 27,943	Re: Pilot Little Maestro Value? I agree with the others, £31 for one of those is a good buy if in reasonable condition and complete. Radios with those valves in a heater chain do dump a lot of heat from the dropper. A capacitive or diode dropper is the way to go unless you're a stickler for originality. There's lots of info on the forum if you search, including Paul Stenning's spreadsheet calculator which does all the hard sums for you.

27th Oct 2021, 7:26 pm	#12
Cobaltblue Moderator Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Exeter, Devon and Poole, Dorset UK. Posts: 6,865	Re: Pilot Little Maestro Value? Shango is dealing with 110V mains the resistor only has to drop about 40 volts in the UK its about 150V so there will be almost 4 times as much heat. Cheers Mike T __________________ Invisible airwaves crackle with life or at least they used to Mike T BVWS member. www.cossor.co.uk

27th Oct 2021, 7:36 pm	#14
Radio Scotland Heptode Join Date: Jul 2020 Location: Larkhall, South Lanarkshire, Scotland. Posts: 671	Re: Pilot Little Maestro Value? Thanks for all the replies/info. Heres hoping its still for sale when i go back to the shop. Never worked on a valve set but have most of the gear to do so, And i ''think'' enough knowledge, Be more to follow if i manage to get my hands on it. Cheers __________________ Help!! I've been electrocuted by a glass thing that glows

27th Oct 2021, 9:12 pm	#15
Radio Scotland Heptode Join Date: Jul 2020 Location: Larkhall, South Lanarkshire, Scotland. Posts: 671	Re: Pilot Little Maestro Value? One last question, How rare is this model ? __________________ Help!! I've been electrocuted by a glass thing that glows

27th Oct 2021, 9:17 pm	#16
Cobaltblue Moderator Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Exeter, Devon and Poole, Dorset UK. Posts: 6,865	Re: Pilot Little Maestro Value? There are several versions of this set all looking pretty similar. They sold in good numbers and turn up fairly often. At one point I had 8 or 9 of them. I would say desirable not as common as DAC90A's but not really rare either. They seem to be more desirable when in the Bakelite case. Cheers Mike T __________________ Invisible airwaves crackle with life or at least they used to Mike T BVWS member. www.cossor.co.uk

28th Oct 2021, 3:03 pm	#19
agardiner Octode Join Date: Sep 2020 Location: Thetford, Norfolk, UK. Posts: 1,741	Re: Pilot Little Maestro Value? Not as standard as many, but I have always been able to track down any I have needed.